


Fireflies

by A_Blushing_Mess



Category: Labyrinth (1986)
Genre: F/M, Mostly reconciling and admitting feelings and things, Post-Movie, Romance, Safe For Work, talking it out
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-31
Updated: 2018-12-31
Packaged: 2019-10-01 01:53:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,796
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17235116
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/A_Blushing_Mess/pseuds/A_Blushing_Mess
Summary: An attempt at trying out that pivotal moment when Jareth and Sarah meet again after the events of the movie. It got away from me a bit. Not sure if it's perfect or if it's too perfect. Anyway, a few years later and Sarah makes a wish one summer night in the park. Inspired by the song "Fireflies (Light Messengers)" by Saosin.





	Fireflies

\---

 

She could taste the cool sweetness of the rain on her tongue. It perfumed the warm, summer air and filled her lungs with freshness. The earth was sated and squeaky-clean around her. The emerald blades of grass glistened with droplets of water and the dry ground at last had its week-long thirst quenched. The first storm of summer was over, and it left the local park refreshed and restored in its wake.

Sarah Williams glanced at the old stone bridge as she passed, memories moving in the back of her mind. She recalled the days spent here, running about in an old-fashioned dress with flowers in her hair. She remembered the lines from the little red booklet, the ones she would recite from memory – the ones she would never forget.

_For my will is as strong as yours, and my kingdom as great…_

It had been three years since that night, when she had wished her baby brother away and unexpectedly had him disappear. The night of the first summer storm, when little cackling creatures had crawled into her parent’s bedroom and the windows had burst open with a gust of wind and glittering bits of magic.

When he had first appeared and offered her wildest dreams to her in a glistening glass crystal…

Sarah swallowed unevenly and looked down at her shoes. They squelched on the wet pavement with every step she took.

_I couldn’t say yes… I had to save Toby. I had to correct my mistake… but…_

It was hard to admit to herself that she had even been tempted to forsake her brother’s safety in exchange for…everything she had ever wanted. It shouldn’t have been a difficult decision, but it was. The guilt was still there in some form, eating at her even after such a long time.

Aging from 15 to 18 had been quite the experience. They were only three years in the sense of numerical passages of time, but Sarah felt leaps and bounds ahead of where she had been at that last pivotal point in her life. It was like the difference between 10 and 13, yet even more critical. Now she was legally an adult.

Knowing the anniversary of that night was approaching soon, she had been doing some serious thinking. After much debating and wondering, Sarah figured it would do her head and her heart some good to make a rather adult-ish decision. It had been on her mind for years, the events that had unfolded in that magical maze of hedges and stone. That fact was undeniable – especially when she was asleep, at the mercy of her dreams.

She had to do something about it. Ever since she had said those fateful words to him and found herself back in her bedroom with Toby safe and sound in his crib, it had nagged at her. This unfinished business between her and the magical man who had tried to grant all of her wishes, at any cost…

Was there anything she could do or say to clear the air? To make things right? It wasn’t like they had to be on good terms, exactly – she just didn’t want things to remain so restless and sour for the rest of her life. Surely she could at least…settle the score? Just so she could know peace, at last…

Sarah glanced up to find herself at a bend in the sidewalk, beneath the shade of a great oak tree that still dripped with the last of the rain. Under its shadow was a park bench, the driest one in the area after she swept the few tiny puddles away. Sitting down and crossing her legs, she continued to argue silently with herself.

_Maybe I’m the only one that feels any lingering doubts or fears or…feelings. I mean, what if he hasn’t given me a second thought after I left his labyrinth behind? What if I’ve been carrying this weight over the years, and it’s only me who is tired and torn up about it…?_

Her brow creased with worry, and she gnawed at her lower lip as her thoughts continued down similarly concerning paths.

_Well, there’s really only one way to find out…_

She checked her phone quickly to stall for time and tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear.

Then she licked her lips and took a deep breath and spoke.

“…Jareth… I need you…”

The words were soft and hesitant, almost a whisper as they floated out into the warm, wet air.

The facts that she wasn’t blinking or breathing caught up to her at about the same time, making her otherwise still body move all of a sudden with a deep inhale and the rapid fluttering of her eyelashes.

She looked around, but nothing had changed. She was still alone in the park.

_…Is he really not coming?_

She had a split second for the poisonous thought to slink through her brain, the corners of her mouth immediately lowering into a broken frown.

But then she knew he was there.

There wasn’t any sound, but she felt a sense of static electricity prickle across her scalp, making the hair at the nape of her neck stand on end. The summery breeze suddenly felt like it belonged in the fall as it chilled the bare skin of her arms and legs, bringing forth goose bumps on the surface of her flesh.

She stiffened from the top of her head to the bottoms of her feet, her body tensing up reflexively as some primitive, instinctual fear sparked at the back of her skull. She turned her head sharply to the right, and there he was, standing just behind the park bench on which she sat.

Her memory of him over the years had remained sharp – he wasn’t the kind of person one could easily forget, for better or for worse – but she was still rather struck by his sense of presence. He radiated power and authority just as he had that fateful night so long ago, and it left her awed and still and speechless.

In the mixed light of a summer afternoon that was making the transition from cloudy to sunny, he managed to be so vivid even as he was dark. His blonde hair was brighter than she remembered, glinting as it swayed in the wind like threads of white gold. His brows were dark, lowered over his mismatched eyes. Those eyes – they were a piercing crystalline blue. If a color could be sharp enough to physically cut her skin, it would’ve been that color.

He wore an outfit made mostly of black. Dark leather armor encased his torso, his pendant mounted solidly in the center of his chest instead of hanging on its chain. His broad shoulders were each bound in a hard black shell, and leather gauntlets sheathed his forearms and wrists. His pants and boots were likewise dark, and the cape – though its coloration had to be black at its core, there was an overlay of gorgeous blue sparkles. It glittered like the night sky, like the most untarnished of heavens.

He was every inch the imposing, intimidating figure of her childhood…and yet, somewhere deep down, she felt a delightful thrill at the fact that he had answered her call.

_He’s here. He’s really here. After all this time…_

She hadn’t realized she’d been staring at him without speaking for a bit too long until he tilted his head to the side, one brow lifting expectantly.

“Oh. Hello,” she said, that being all she could manage at the moment.

“Hello, Sarah,” Jareth murmured in reply, his eyes glinting behind the shadow of his hair.

Sarah repressed a shiver at the sound of him saying her name.

All of the lingering emotions of the past three years were wrapped up in his tone of voice. She could hear the nagging curiosity and the antagonism and the wary intensity. It seemed he had been aware of the unfinished business from their last encounter just as she was. Holding onto the fact that there just might be some common ground between the two of them, she steadied herself and pressed forward.

“So, Jareth – er, your majesty?”

She was trying to be accommodating, but the attempt sounded awkward even to her. She managed not to wince when Jareth lifted a skeptical eyebrow.

“…I believe we’re passed the formalities, Sarah, but your effort is appreciated nonetheless.”

His tone was a bit at odds with his words. His voice, though melodious and deep, had a tightness that she didn’t quite know what to do with. She could tell that he was trying to get an accurate reading on the situation and struggling to do so, just as she was.

“It’s been a while,” she continued conversationally.

“Yes, I suppose it has. 1,095 days. 26,280 hours. 1,576,800 minutes. 94,608,000 seconds… It has indeed been a while.”

Again, she could here that clipped edge in his voice. That detail, combined with the way his arms were crossed over his chest, his gloved hands held in a grip instead of hanging relaxed, made her nervous to a new degree. Her heart rate had quickened with his proximity, and was now pulsing even faster with alarm.

_He doesn’t seem very happy to see me… Maybe this was a mistake…_

“Um… you’re more than welcome to sit down,” she said, scooting over a little on the bench to make sure there was ample room for him to join her.

“How gracious of you,” he replied sardonically, as if the idea wasn’t all that appealing to him. Nonetheless, he moved from behind the bench with a silent grace and sat down on the seat beside her.

Sarah’s eyes widened with surprise for an instant, and her heart beat all the more loudly in her chest at the fact that he was only a few inches away from her.

His midnight blue cape brushed against her leg in the breeze.

“…Thank you for joining me, here,” she said quietly, rearranging the hem of her shirt as if it had been somehow out of whack.

Jareth’s brow rose slowly with surprise. He glanced at her for a moment out of the corner of his eye, taking in the slight hunch to her shoulders, the way she wasn’t meeting his gaze. She was being so…polite, so careful. He knew she wasn’t fifteen anymore, seeing as how the long, uneventful years had passed by for him as well…but now he was truly seeing how she’d grown.

No longer blindly challenging or lashing out without thinking. No longer rash and impetuous. No longer a child…

And to hear the words 'thank you' come from her lips–

“…You called me,” he murmured, his voice softening noticeably, “After all, woe be to the Goblin King who ignores a summons.”

His change in tone wasn’t lost on Sarah, who looked up just in time to see him uncross his arms from his chest and settle them elegantly in his lap.

“Yes, well… I wanted to talk with you. Is this place okay?” she asked, knowing that the park was public and could contain more people than just the two of them at any moment.

“Yes. Any passersby will see a tall, dark, handsome stranger – nothing more.”

The corners of Sarah’s mouth curled up into a little smile at his words. Talking about himself seemed to be a comfortable topic for him. This felt a bit like familiar ground and she straightened her back in her seat. Meeting his gaze squarely, she felt much more confident in proceeding with this talk that had needed to happen for so long.

_Right words, don’t fail me now._

“Okay, well… About what happened three years ago, when I ran the Labyrinth… There was the wish – my wish – and the parts we played as maze runner and labyrinth master… But then, you offered me that crystal filled with my dreams. And some of the things you said to me, about mornings of gold, and…”

Sarah faltered for a moment, struggling to articulate her mental battle that had been going for three long years. And a blush was warming her face at the mere memory of the way he had held her close and danced with her throughout that beautiful ballroom. He had sung about the glittering eternity they would share together. She had been on cloud 9, never wanting to come down from that high of fantasy and romance and magic…

“…Sarah?” Jareth prodded gently, not wanting to startle her but very interested in what else she had to say.

“I just – I want to talk about all of this with you. And I want to be open and honest, okay? Can we do that, please?”

Her words came in a rush, her green eyes sincere and distressed.

Whatever Jareth had been expecting when he heard her call, it wasn’t this. He was dressed for another showdown with his favorite foe, not a heart-to-heart with the young woman who had stolen his heart and defeated him…

“Of course, precious,” he replied, leaning slightly closer and giving her his full attention.

Sarah stared at him for a long moment, trying to make sure of his intentions. He seemed convincing…but he always seemed convincing. She wasn’t sure what to believe with him. And that’s exactly what she told him.

“…You said a lot of things, Jareth. Things that I wasn’t sure if I could believe or not. I know you were trying to stop me from rescuing Toby, but…I got the vibe that you had more than one objective… It’s been bothering me this whole time. I’ve been trying to process it all, figure it out… I wanted to talk to you sooner, but I was afraid you would be –”

“Angry?”

Sarah couldn’t help but wince as he filled in the blank and brought up exactly what it was that she had been dreading for so long.

“I daresay it would’ve been appropriate, given how you belittled my kingdom and rejected my hospitality…” Jareth said dryly, brushing a fallen leaf off of his leather-clad thigh without looking at her.

Stung by his words, Sarah flinched back a bit with hurt and confusion.

Jareth noticed her retreat, his blue eyes flickering back to her. Then his face softened and he let out a heavy sigh.

“…I admit that defeat isn’t a color I wear well, hard as that may be to believe… But you said your right words. You solved the Labyrinth in the time you were allowed. I cannot begrudge you your victory when you earned it,” he said objectively. There was a hesitance to him, as if saying such things was a very unfamiliar practice for him, but he was trying.

“…Really?” Sarah asked, her voice quiet. Like if she spoke too loudly she would startle this introspective version of Jareth away, never to have access to him again.

“Mhm,” he replied in the affirmative, “I suppose I was angry for a time, but it was more at myself than at you… I couldn’t believe I didn’t come up with a way to get you to stay with me… With all of my magic and all of my tricks, you escaped. You, who are the most captivating and clever person to traverse my maze in over a decade, and I let you get away…”

His words were coming faster now. The honesty was actually rather liberating in a way that he hadn’t expected.

Sarah didn’t know what to say. Her eyes were widened with surprise and delight. She was so very relieved and terribly flattered. She had only expected to hear words like those in her wildest dreams.

“It was painfully evident after you returned home. The silence, the stillness… If I ever could’ve directed my anger at you, that emotion would’ve paled in comparison to the boredom and monotony of the day-to-day in the Labyrinth without you…” Jareth trailed off, bringing one knee up to his chest so that he could cross his arms and rest his chin upon it as he gazed off into the distant trees.

“…I wanted to be angry, too,” Sarah murmured, also staring at the forest, “I expected to be, anyway. But I know I was the one who wished Toby away in the first place. You just did what I asked…”

Jareth turned his mismatched blue eyes on her again, this time with pleasant surprise.

“My, my. What a difference three years can make,” he said warmly. As he continued to gaze at her, the heat in his voice was magnified in the wicked glint in his eyes that he didn’t really try to hide.

Sarah blushed in response, knowing he wasn’t just talking about her outlook on life or her maturity level. She felt the weight of his stare and tried to ignore the slight tingling sensation that came with knowing he was referring to her body as well as her mind.

But she wasn’t one to let flirtations and flattery distract her. Her brows lowered challengingly, her expression going from defensive to offensive in a mere moment.

“Well, you did what I asked – _and so much more_ ,” she said with a deceptively sweet smile, a slight bite in her tone, “Maybe a bit too much more. I mean, were the Cleaners and the Humungous really all that necessary?”

That cut Jareth’s wolfish expression off at the source, though there was still the slightest smirk tugging at his lips.

“Ah… Well, I would hate for you to leave the Labyrinth disappointed.”

His words made Sarah huff and roll her eyes.

Her derisive snort made him laugh into his knee.

The sound was lovely and lilting, and Sarah joined him.

Having these conversations, making so many confessions – it was all a bit surreal and overwhelming. They laughed together, and it was like the weight from when she first called him to her disappeared.

As the time had passed, afternoon was transitioning into evening. The sun was beginning to set, painting the sky in a warm array of oranges and reds.

The frogs were starting their chorus of chirping in the pond nearby.

The old clock tower in town rang out the hour.

Sarah slouched a bit in her seat so that she could stretch out her legs and rest her head against the back of the bench.

“That peach dream was a low blow,” she said without venom, looking up at the oak tree stretching above her and recalling the glamor and the glitz that had so tempted her to stay.

“I know it was, that’s why I did it,” Jareth replied just as freely, “and yet, it still wasn’t enough to stop you.”

“Mmn,” Sarah murmured, smiling with self-satisfaction.

The clouds overhead were dispersing, their undersides barely thick enough to get that purplish crimson shadow that came with blocking out the sun’s light as it sank below the horizon.

“I’m glad you’re not angry,” she said softly, looking towards the woods again and watching two birds go about settling into their nest for the approaching evening.

“Likewise.”

“…With that settled, I also wanted to talk with you today, because… I wanted to – I don’t know. Apologize doesn’t seem like the right word, but—”

“As much as I enjoy hearing that word from your lips, Sarah, I assure you: it is not needed. Our duel wasn’t exactly the fairest on either side… What, with you gathering allies in unlikely places and turning my subjects against me. And me, taking special care to make sure your quest went unfinished and making it personal… “

As Jareth trailed off, Sarah tilted her head against the back of the park bench to look at him. She hadn’t heard him move, but he was now mimicking her position with his legs out as a brace and his head tilted back.

“…Were I not such a proud king, perhaps I could manage an apology of my own…” he murmured, finishing his train of thought with a low voice.

“Well, how about _that_ ,” Sarah said after a moment, her incredulous tone verging on the theatrical.

Jareth turned toward her, a dry and yet delighted smirk on his face.

“Don’t mention it, precious thing. I’ll know if you do.”

Sarah laughed again, her shoulders shaking against the supportive backboard.

“Speaking of which,” she said after she’d gotten her breath back, “I’ve seen you around. Hanging out in a tree here and there. What do you have to say for yourself, Mr. Owl?”

She wanted to see him embarrassed at being caught, or maybe see him fumbling for a response that made his watchful eyes seem silly. But he was ready with a rebuttal almost immediately.

“…I was obligated to make sure the girl who triumphed in my labyrinth was showing the same initiative in all areas of her life. In case she was in need of a reminder as to the worth of her words.”

“How very gracious of you,” Sarah murmured, her sarcasm audible even as she grinned with teasing delight.

“It’s in my nature, every now and again…” Jareth replied smoothly, a slow grin spreading across his face as well.

“And…while we’re still being honest…” Sarah began, shifting her position on the bench and unintentionally ending up close enough to touch him, her shoulder pressing against his.

It wasn’t encased in the glazed black armor anymore. She hadn’t noticed him change his outfit, but he now wore black pants and a loose-fitting white shirt. Its collar was low-cut and open, revealing a – er – generous amount of his smooth, pale chest on which his pendant now rested.

Sarah swallowed, her throat suddenly dry. It was hard to remember what she had been talking about.

“Yes?” Jareth asked, prodding again after a moment of silence.

“Um… Oh,” Sarah said, blushing and blinking and trying to focus, “ I–While we’re still being honest… I… I wanted to thank you.”

There was another moment of silence as Jareth’s eyes widened with pleasant surprise. Again, those marvelous words that he had never expected her to say. What kind of idealized dream were they sharing this evening?

“It was a lesson I needed to learn, at a very important time in my life. And you really went out of your way to make sure I had the fullest experience and learned it well… I certainly didn’t see it that way at the time, but… I’m beginning to understand the effort and the attention to detail, and … I’m grateful.”

When she had finished the thought, she had to smother a laugh at the baffled, disbelieving look on Jareth’s face. There was also something deep and intense in his gaze that made her face flush with heat yet again. Hoping her blushes were harder to notice in the dark, she shifted up into a seated position once again.

The sun had set, letting the blanket of dusk descend on the quiet little park. The crickets chirped in the tall grasses near the woods and the fireflies were out. There were so many of them, gliding slowly above the ground and blinking with a radiant, greenish yellow light.

It was like being among the stars while still down on earth.

The insects danced and swayed to a song only they could seem to hear. Sarah watched them form patterns in the open air as Jareth sat up straight beside her on the bench, his shoulder brushing hers again.

He held out a hand and a firefly perched on his glove, blinking once or twice before taking off once more.

“…Did you really do all of that for me? Turn the world upside down?”

Sarah spoke, her voice sounding distant in a way that made Jareth wonder if she was still talking to him even though he knew she was.

“…Surely my words and actions speak for themselves,” he replied carefully, perhaps with a twinge of bitterness.

Sarah continued to watch the fireflies, her memories seeming to swirl and glow right along with them.

 

\--

 

_“Though we’re strangers till now, we’re choosing the path between the stars. I’ll lay my love between the stars…”_

_“How you turn my world you precious thing. You starve and near exhaust me. Everything I’ve done, I’ve done for you. I move the stars for no one…”_

_“You asked that the child be taken. I took him. You cowered before me. I was frightening … I am exhausted from living up to your expectations. Isn’t that generous?”_

_“Stop! Wait. Look, Sarah. Look at what I’m offering you: Your dreams…”_

 

\--

 

“…And you meant it? It wasn’t just…cruel trickery on your part?” she continued, her voice growing even softer as she spoke. A gripping fear was making her throat feel tight. Surely the man who had woven such lies wouldn’t care to meet with her tonight and have such a civil discussion...would he?

“No. I may be many things, but I am not a liar,” he replied, his voice low and melancholic.

“…Then…Why?”

The question had been heavy on her mind since that fateful night long ago. The weight of it was nearly crushing, and now that she had finally spoken it aloud, it pressed down on them both.

“…Oh, Sarah. You read the story in your little red book… Doesn’t it answer all of your questions?”

It felt like he was avoiding the issue, or perhaps it was a different issue that she didn’t understand just yet.

“I know the story. But I want to be sure. Not between the pages of a book, but here, in reality, right now…”

Jareth’s mouth tightened into a hard line, and still he said nothing.

“I want to hear you say the words,” Sarah said squarely, not breaking eye contact.

“Are you sure?” he asked in a swift whisper, “Are you absolutely certain that…you are ready for such a thing? I realize now that it too much for you as you were, when you first met me, intent on saving your brother – with such high stakes on the line. I do not wish to force your hand in such a way again, after you’ve only just asked me to return to you tonight…”

Sarah stared at his face, taking in the caution in his eyes, the tension in his posture. She had thought, given the way he had so openly declared his love for her in the Labyrinth, that it would be an easy phrase for him to repeat. But perhaps there was more to it than that… Perhaps there was only so far being open and honest could get you, in one sitting. …And there wasn’t anything wrong with that.

“…That’s okay. I understand…” she said, smiling at him reassuringly.

Jareth’s features softened with surprise and admiration.

“Oh?” he asked, curious to hear her take on things.

“Yeah. You don’t have to say it tonight. You can tell me that you love me whenever you feel ready to…” she said casually, not missing the way his eyes widened further as she shifted to rest her head against his shoulder.

“…Sarah,” he said carefully, his body still tense where it pressed against hers.

“I think we should make this reunion a yearly thing, don’t you?” she interrupted easily, unable to stop smiling even if she’d wanted to, “And you can feel free to stop by my vanity mirror whenever you wish…”

Jareth remained speechless, feeling like blessings were raining down upon him and not knowing what was appropriate to say or do in return.

“Within reason,” Sarah added firmly as an addendum, as if she suddenly remembered that, if she didn’t specify, he would be stopping by at five o’clock in the morning when she had a big English exam the next day.

That made Jareth chuckle with amusement, and he shifted so that his arm could wrap lightly around her as a defense against the chill of the surrounding night.

_Curses. Foiled again._

“… Thank you, Sarah,” he murmured against her hair. She smelled like the rainfall, with a hint of strawberries.

“Mnm,” she replied in agreement. Her eyelids were feeling heavy.

Having this conversation was like…old wounds getting cleaned and dressed for the first time. She felt a bit like a patient in the recovery ward of a hospital. It was exhausting, but it was nice to know that things could finally heal properly.

She watched the fireflies shimmer and dance through the warm night air and listened to the calls of the frogs and the crickets and let her eyes close at last.

When she awoke in the morning, she was home and in her bed.

And there was a white feather on her windowsill.

 

\---


End file.
